Australia's largest city was picking up the pieces Friday after a series of lightning and hailstorms pummelled cars with ice blocks the size of tennis balls.

The authorities issued a severe storm warning, but that was not enough to prevent damage that is already running into the tens of millions of dollars.

"As of 6:30 am we are at 15,000 claims and AUS$80 million (US$57 million) in damages," the Insurance Council of Australia told AFP.

When the storms hit, Sydneysiders looked on in desperation as cauliflower-shaped hail smashed through car windshields and turned the Harbour into a bubbling and splashing cauldron.

Many drivers sought refuge under roofed petrol stations and a few brave surfers in the water at the city's famed Bondi Beach hid under their boards.

Hailstorms are fairly common in the state of New South Wales in the antipodean summer, although one on this scale has not been seen since 1999, when hailstones caused an estimated AUS$1.7 billion in damage.

Related Links
Weather News at TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Flooding, traffic chaos as heavy rains lash Sydney
Sydney (AFP) Nov 28, 2018
Flights were cancelled, railway lines closed and motorists stranded on flooded roads, as a month's worth of rain fell on Sydney early Wednesday, leaving emergency services battling to respond. Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall lashed Australia's largest city, with the local Bureau of Meteorology reporting more than 106 millimetres of rain fell in some places within a few hours. The city usually sees an average of 84 millimetres for the entire month of November. One person was said to h ... read more